Continuing our tour of recipes inspired by Asian cuisine, this stir fry is vegetarian and can easily be made vegan by using brown sugar in the sauce instead of hot honey. But you will not be focusing on what's in or not in it … you'll be too busy enjoying it! A decadent sauce and all the flavor you didn't know you could pack into a vegetarian dish make this stir fry a sure thing - especially when you know it can be on the table in less than half an hour!
I like a colorful stir fry and the peppers, cabbage, and carrots all work together to bring that to the plate, but you can mix and match vegetables you have on hand, prefer, or find in season. That said, try to favor a nice variety of colors and textures to maximize nutrition and make it pretty! If you are not a fan of heat in a stir fry, opt for brown sugar instead of hot honey and skip the chili crisp.
I like to serve this stir fry over brown rice, but you can also use white or toss it with your favorite noodles. Rice noodles would be fun and could allow you to serve this dish cold or at room temperature easily as well. However you opt to get it to your table - or picnic! - enjoy.
Spicy Tofu Stir Fry
- 2 ½ tablespoons canola oil
- 3 garlic cloves - halved lengthwise
- 1 lb. firm tofu, drained and pressed between paper towels before being cubed
- 1 red bell pepper - seeded and sliced into thin strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper - seeded and sliced into thin strips
- 4 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
- ¼ cup soy sauce, or gluten-free soy sauce
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon hot honey, or brown sugar for vegan
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 cup coarsely shredded carrots
- 1 tablespoon chili crisp
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro/li>
- Steamed brown or white rice - for serving
Heat the canola oil in a wok or large sauté pan or skillet over medium. Add the garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase the heat to high and add the pressed, drained, and cubed tofu in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, until browned in spots, about 2 minutes.
Add the bell pepper and stir fry another 2-3 minutes until softened a bit. Add the cabbage and stir fry another 2-3 minutes to lightly soften that. Add the soy sauce, vegetable broth, hot honey (or brown sugar), and toasted sesame oil. Stir fry until the sauce thickens slightly, another 4-5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the carrots, chili crisp, and cilantro; stir lightly. Season to taste with additional soy sauce, if needed. Serve over steamed rice.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 25 minutes